Training-gear for mobile artillery.



F. RAUSENBERGER.

TRAINING GEAR FOR MOBILE ARTILLERY.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 22, 1913.

1,1732 1 5. Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

F. RAUSENBERGER.

TRAINING GEAR FOR MOBILE ARTILLERY.

Patefited Feb. 29, 1.916.

APPUCATION FILED MAY 22, 1913.

2 SHEETS-$HEET 2.

nnrrnian saaans PATENT orrion.

FRITZ RAUSENBERGER, OF EssEN-oN Tl-lE fiUHR, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO FRIED.KRUPP AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, OF ESSEN-ON-THE'-RU'HR, GERMANY.

:TBA'ININGr-GEAB.FGR MGBILE ABTILLERY.

Application filed May 22, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, FRITZ Bansnnnnnenn, residing at Essen-on-the-Fuhr,Germany, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, have invented a certainnew and useful Improvement in Training-Gears for Mobile Artillery, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The subject matter of the present invention resides in a training gearfor mobile artillery, and more particularly for guns used in firing atair ships.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings where Figure 1 shows a side view of the gun mount partly insection; Fig. 2 a top plan view of Fig. 1, with some of the parts leftout; Fig. 3 a length section of some of the details on larger scale;Figs. 4i, 5 and 6 are transverse sections of Fig. 3 along'lines 4l-l,5-5 and 6*6 respectively and .Fig. 7 is a similar view to Fig. '3 withthe parts in different positions.

The gun barrel A, Fig. 1, is mounted to slide on the slide carrier B,which is provided with horizontal trunnions 5 carried in bearings 0 inthe trail body C,-and may be rocked about the axis of these trunnions bymeans of an elevating gear, not shown in the drawing.

The following arrangement is provided to train the gun mount around theball joint (1 carried by the foundation plate .1) (Figs. 1 and 2), whichis anchored to the ground by means of wedges F, Fig. 1: The rear end ofthe trail body, carrying the trail eye 0 forms a separate roller carrierC which is constructed to receive a rolle and engages by means of ahorizontal, longitudinal trunnion 0*, with abearing 0?, rigidly mountedin the trail end. The roller carrier C rests with a vertical surfaceagainst the rear face of the bearing 0 at the free end of the trunnion0* is moreover secured nut 0 whichimpinges against the forward face ofthe bearing In consequence ,ofthis arrangement the roller carrier C isprevented from any displacement relative to the trail body.

The .roller J is vrevolubly mounted on a shaft K, see Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4Land '7, which atone .end is carried in the roller carrier bymeans of ajournal 71: seeFigs. 3 and 7,'and at the other end rests in a bearingSpecificationiof Letters'Patent.

Patented Feb. 2a, 1916.

SerialNo. 769,319.

in the free end of the trunnion a The shaft K is connected through ashaft is, a universal joint 70 and a second universal joint if with ashaft Kt, see Figs. 1 and 2. The shaft K carries at its forward end,which rests in a bearing in the trail body, a worm wheel L in mesh witha worm L the shaft of which is carried in a bearing on the trail bodyand is provided with a hand wheelL To connect the shaft K with theroller J is provided a muff M, see Figs. 3, 5 and 7, which is slidablybut nonrevolubly mounted on a square part 70* of the shaft K. The muff Mis provided withtwo. collars m and m of which the one m has teeth mconstructed to engage with corresponding teeth 2' on the roller J. In arecess 0 in the trunnion 0* ofthe roller carrier C is arranged a'springN around the shaft K, which spring at one end'im pinges against the muffM, and at the other end against the bottom of the recess 6 tending tokeep the teeth m of the muff in engagement with the teeth 6 of theroller J.

For the purpose of disengaging the coupling betweenthe shaft K and theroller J through the muff M, there is provided an elbow P mounted in abearingpiece O by means of a ,journal 72 on the bearing 0". This elbowhas two arms 72 forming an upper fork and two arms p forming a lowerfork, the latter arms p being connected with each other by means of across piece 79 see for instance -Fig. 5. The fork p grips the muff M andabuts against the collar m The 'forkp of the elbow P is provided withinwardly directed fingers 1), see Figs. 5, G and '7. The hand spike Q ofthe carriage, journaled on a bolt in a pair of eyelets provided on thebearing 0 rests inits working position in a recess 0 between claws c onthe bearing 0 see F igs.

"5, 6 and 7, and the hand spike is provided with a revoluble lever Rjournaled on a bolt 1' The lever .B grips over the hand spike Q. like afork and is provided with a sidewardly projecting stud T The bolt r .isprevented from turning relative to the lever B bymeans of a key 1", andalso secured against longitudinal displacement by means of a washer rwith a cotter pin r see Fig. 6. Thejlever R has a step r and outwardlydirected fingersr which are con- .structed to engage under the fingers,p of the fork p on the elbow P, thus cooperat ing therewith. In aboring 1"", provided in the fork arm 1 of the lever B, see Fig. 6, issituated a spring T surrounding the bolt r and one end of this springengages with the hand spike Q, and the other end with the washer r. Thisspring tends to hold the lever R in the position represented in Figs. 1,3 and 7, wherein the step 1 abuts against the claw a.

The roller J is intended to run on a rail S seated on a bed-plate S,which grip the ground by means of ribs 3 The rail S runs concentric w'ththe ball joint al when the bed-plate S and the foundation plate D aresituated in the working position relative to the gun mount, shown inFigs. 1 and 2, and has flanges 8", see Figs. 3 and 7, which engage underflanges 0 arranged on-sideward projections a of the roller carrier C Inthe rail. S are provided holes 8 see Figs. 2 and 4, which are adapted toengage studs 71 on the roller J in the manner of a pin gear.

In the firing position of the gun, the foundation plate D is anchored tothe ground by means of the wedges E; the trail body C rests with theroller J on the rail S of the bed-plate S inserted in the ground,

nd the shaft K is coupled to the roller J through the muff M incoijperation with the teeth m i By turning the hand wheel L, the gunmount may be trained around the ball joint (Z The roller J will then runon the rail S and the studs 2' of the roller enter one after the otherof the holes 5 of the rail. In consequence of the described swingingconnection of the bed-plate S with the trail C and therefore with thewheel axle of the mount, the mount can also be shifted on uneven ground(especially on ground where the wheel axle is inclined relatively to thebed-plate) without causing the bed-plate to change its position on theground during the swinging of the mount.

If it should be desired to train the gun mount rapidly independently ofthe hand wheel L the coupling between the shaft K and the roller J isdisengaged. For this purpose the hand spike Q will be raised, when theelbow P will turn around the bolt 79 in the direction of the arrow w,see Fig. 3, under the cooperation of the fingers p and the fingers r ofthe lever B connected to the hand spike Q. The fork 77 of the elbow Pthen brings the muff M against the action of the spring N out ofengagement with the roller J, see Fig. 7. This movement of the elbow Pand the muff M is limited through a step 7" of the lever B taking up itsposition under the claw 0 arranged on the bearing 0 WVhen the gun mountis trained, after disengaging the coupling m 2, the roller J will runloose on the shaft K.

When the roller J, during the training of the mount, arrives at the endof the rail S the coupling m i is disengaged in the above describedmanner and the trail body is raised by means of the hand spike Q, in005peration with the lever R and the claw c". The bed-plate S is thenlifted together with the trail body through the flanges s of the rail Sengaging the flanges c of the roller carrier C The bed-plate S willthereupon be displaced relatively to the trail body and the rollercarrier C in the direction in which the further training of the gunmount is going to take place, and the displacement is continued untilthe other end of the rail S is situated below the roller J. During thedisplacement of the bed-plate, the roller will turn on the shaft K;lastly the trail body is again laid down on the ground and the handspike Q set free. The spring N will return the muff M and the lever Pinto the position, wherein the coupling m 2' is engaged. To accomplishthis engagement, when the teeth m of the muff do not register betweenthe teeth 5 of the roller J, a slight turning of the mulf D1 will berequired by means of the hand wheel L Before limbering up, the handspike Q has to be turned in a direction of the arrow 2, see Fig. 3. Tomake this possible, the lever R has to be turned by means of itsprojection r against the action of the spring T in the direction of thearrow y, see Fig. 3, until the fingers; r are disengaged from thefingers p of the lever P. The hand spike will then be free to turn onits bolt The bed-plate S hangs, during transportation of the gun mount,on the flanges 0 of the rail carrier C and is thereby retained in itsmiddle position on the roller carrier C or the trail body C by means ofan anchoring device of any known construction, but which has not beenshown in the drawmg.

The described device may evidently be applied to guns provided withtraining gear for finer side adjustment of the gun on the trail.

I claim:

1. Training gear for gun mounts, having a bed-plate, a slide on thetrail end in engagement with said bed-plate, connections between saidslide and the trail end permitting oscillation of said slide around anaxis situated in the length direction of the trail; means for givinglateral displacement of the trail relative to the bed-plate around avertical axis through the wheel axle, said means comprising a roller,mounted to revolve around said axis of oscillation, said roller engagingwith said bed plate.

2. Training gear for gun mounts, having a bed-plate, a carrier on thetrail end for said bed-plate, connections between said carrier and thetrail end permitting oscillation of said carrier around an axis situatedin the length direction of the trail; means for giving lateraldisplacement of the trail relative to the bed-plate around a verticalaxis through the wheel axle, said means comprising a roller havingradial studs and corresponding apertures in the bed-plate, a shaft inthe carrier coaxial with said axis of oscillation of the carrier, saidroller being loosely mounted on said shaft.

8. Training gear for gun mounts, having a bed-plate, a carrier on thetrail end for said bed-plate, connections between said carrier and thetrail end permitting oscillation of said carrier around an axis situatedin the length direction of the trail; means for giving lateraldisplacement of the trail relative to the bed-plate around a verticalaxis through the wheel axle, said means comprising a roller havingradial studs and corresponding apertures in the bed-plate, a shaft inthe carrier coaxial with said axis of oscillation of the carrier, saidroller being loosely mounted on said shaft, a hand wheel on the trailfor turning said shaft and a clutch for throwing said roller in and outof engagement with said shaft.

l. Training gear for gun mounts, having a bed-plate, a carrier on thetrail end for said bed-plate, connections between said carrier and thetrail end permitting oscillation of said carrier around an axis situatedin the length direction of the trail; means for giving lateraldisplacement of the trail relative to the bed-plate around a verticalaxis through the wheel axle, said means comprising a roller havingradial studs and corresponding apertures in the bed-plate, a shaft inthe carrier coaxial with said axis of oscillation of the carrier, saidroller being loosely mounted on said shaft, a hand wheel on the trailfor turning said shaft, and a clutch for throwing said roller in and outof engagement with said shaft, said clutch being actuated by the handspike for disconnecting the clutch.

Training gear for gun mounts, having a bed-plate, a carrier on the trailend of said bed-plate, connections between 'said carrier and the trailend permitting oscillation of said carrier around an axis situated inthe length direction of the trail; means for giving lateral displacementof the trail relative to the bed-plate around a vertical axis throughthe wheel axle, said means comprising a roller having radial studs andcorresponding apertures in the bed-plate, a shaft in the carrier coaxialwith said axis of oscillation of the carrier, said roller being looselymounted on said shaft, a hand wheel on the trail for turning said shaft,and a clutch for throwing said roller in and out of engagement with saidshaft, said clutch comprising a muff slidably but non-revolubly mountedon said shaft, opposing teeth on the mufi and on the roller, and aspring tending to keep said teeth in engagement.

6. Training gear for gun mounts, having a bed-plate, a carrier on thetrail end for said bed-plate, connections between said carrier and thetrail end permitting oscillation of said carrier around an axis situatedin the length direction of the trail; means for giving lateraldisplacement of the trail relative to the bed-plate around a verticalaxis through the wheel axle, said means comprising a roller having studsand corresponding apertures in the bedplate, a shaft in the carriercoaxial with said axis of oscillation of the carrier, said roller beingloosely mounted on said shaft, a hand wheel on the trail for turningsaid shaft, and a clutch for throwing said roller in and out ofengagement with said shaft, a lever mounted to oscillate in the trailend, said lever engaging said muff, a hand spike journaled to rock inthe longitudinal plane of the trail, and a member connecting the handspike with said lever, whereby, on raising said hand spike, said clutchwill be disconnected.

7. Training gear for wheeled gun mounts, comprising a bed-plate for thetrail, a sliding connection between said trail and said bed-plate and aconnection between said trail and said bedplate, permitting oscillationof the bed-plate around an axis situated in the direction of the lengthof the mount; said sliding connection comprising means adapted to holdtogether said trail and said bed-plate when the trail is raised.

The foregoing specification signed at Barmen, Germany, this 9th day ofMay, 1913.

FRITZ RAUSENBERGER. [1,. s.]

In presence of- HELEN NUFER, ALBERT Nnrnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

